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How a Surgeon’s Vision Became a Unicorn

Proximie, a health tech startup valued at over $1 billion, is changing the way surgeries are performed. Founded by Dr Nadine Hachach-Haram in 2016, the company uses augmented reality (AR) to let surgeons virtually collaborate and assist in operations between hospitals.

What started as a vision to improve access to quality surgical care has grown into a global platform making surgery smarter, more connected, and accessible.

From Inspiration to Innovation

Dr Nadine Hachach-Haram’s journey to founding Proximie was shaped by her early life experiences. Born in San Diego and raised in Lebanon during a time of conflict, Nadine saw firsthand the devastating impact of inadequate medical care. She pursued a career in reconstructive surgery and found that access to safe surgical care in developing countries was non-existent.

This frustration sparked the idea for Proximie—a platform that could bridge the gap by connecting surgeons worldwide to share their expertise in real time.

Scaling the Vision

With no prior experience in building a startup or raising funds, Nadine initially considered Proximie as a research initiative. She applied for grants and used personal savings to kickstart the project. A turning point came in 2016 when CNN featured Proximie, leading to a significant rise in interest from investors.

This exposure helped her secure the first significant round of funding in 2018, allowing Proximie to begin scaling.

Proximie’s ability to integrate seamlessly with existing healthcare systems, combined with Nadine’s credibility as a surgeon, helped build trust with early investors. By 2020, the company had raised $38 million in Series B funding, which fueled its growth across multiple markets.

In 2022, Proximie secured an additional $80 million in a Series C round, bringing its total funding to over $100 million. This influx of capital enabled the company to rapidly expand its reach, with Proximie now used in over 800 hospitals across 60 countries, supporting more than 80,000 surgeries.

Transforming Surgery With Tech

Proximie is both a tool that makes surgeries more accessible, as well as a data-driven ecosystem for improved surgical outcomes. By collecting and analyzing data from over 80,000 surgeries Proximie helps standardize procedures, improve outcomes, and accelerate the adoption of new techniques.

Backed by significant investments from SoftBank and British Patient Capital, Proximie is now focused entirely on scaling its technology to more hospitals and increasing its ecosystem of data and collaborative surgeries.